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In my special way of marking The SKA Legacy this year, I decided to review the profile of the company. I hope my dad is proud and smiling down from heaven. Continue to rest in perfect peace. As I started, two or three years ago, I continued with an air of professionalism and simplicity.

OVER AND BEYOND™

Profile

The SKA Group goes over expectations and beyond. It is constantly raising the bar for excellence in innovation and service. Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, The SKA Group Incorporated is a leading, privately-owned, multinational, diversified business conglomerate. It owns and oversees the operations of several companies with interests spanning various industries all over the world. Through the dedication of its employees worldwide, The SKA Group remains one of the most admired, dynamic and profitable companies in the world.

History

The SKA Group began as Pearl Kreations on Monday, January 28th, 2008 in Hamilton, Ontario, while Sylvester Kay-Adade was a freshman at McMaster University. Circa September 2009, the vision for The SKA Group was conceived and implemented. By September 21st, 2010, it was officially registered in Canada under the laws of the Province of Ontario. As Pearl Kreations became more successful, its profits provided the necessary capital for the exploration of new industries. The result gave rise to real estate firm, Ransrive Realtors in November, 2009; and clothing company, Suave Clothing in February, 2010. These were preceded by the acquisition of accounting firm, SKA Ventures in June, 2009; and followed by the development of innovations firm, Sylver Productions in August, 2010. Presently, The SKA Group owns Café Euphorie, Herança Financial, Pearl Kreations, Prestige Academy, Ransrive Realtors, Suave Clothing, Sylver Productions, and Vecasyer Hotels & Towers, as well as controlling interests in RCubed-Merit LLP and Spinners Incorporated.

Mission

The SKA Group will relentlessly provide superior quality products and deliver exceptional service, while thriving to be the best and exceed expectations in all its business and social endeavors.

Vision

The SKA Group aims to be recognized as the global brand with a drive for innovation and heart after perfection.

Values

IntegrityWe believe in consistency in the right values.
– Fairness: There is no discrimination; everyone is equal and every job is vital to our brilliant success.
– Hard work: Excellent results are not manufactured, but accomplished through hard work. We understand that and are very familiar with it.
– Lawfulness: All our actions and activities are in total obedience, and in complete accordance with the law.
– Quality: All our products and services are always held to the highest standards.
LeadershipWe believe in leadership by example.
– Accountability: We account and take responsibility for our actions, and conduct ourselves responsibly and transparently in all situations and at all times.
– Entrepreneurship: We are creative, innovative and ready to take calculated risks.
– Perfection: We are performance-oriented and put our best into everything.
People
Like every family, we trust respect and trust each other, and that attitude flows right from the top to the branches.
The people make the company, and our people are the best employees, executives, and partners; hence, we are the best company.
ServiceWe make everything about our patrons because it is.
– Community: A good community produces good people. Our people are good people because they come from good communities.
In order to maintain the balance, we give back through caring for the environment, maintaining old and raising new fundamental structures, and providing basic necessities to lacking communities.
– Customers: Customer service is paramount to us because without our clients and customers, we would be non-existent. We are committed to continually provide value through our products and services.

Subsidiaries

Every business venture is held to the highest standards, operated efficiently, and pacesetters in their respective industries.

Café Euphorie is the chain of state-of-the-art cafes designed for and with the quintessential business executive in mind.Herança Financial is the global, small business management firm which deals in the provision of top-notch financial advice and solutions for small and medium scale businesses.Prestige Academy is the educational institution which delivers quality, unparalleled educational services. These services include entrepreneurial education, financial management education, middle school education, high school education, private tutoring, and renowned etiquette & grooming classes.Pearl Kreations is the collectibles company which manufactures, retails and supplies superior quality pin back button-badges for a variety of corporate, personal, professional, national and international events and purposes.Ransrive Realtors is the real estate company which provides temporary and permanent accommodation through the letting and sale of commercial and residential properties.Suave Clothing is the unique clothing venture which retails luxury accessories from reputable brand names, manufactures and sells its own line of bespoke dress shirts, dress pants and suits, and provides wardrobe consultation services. It also produces a biannual style online publication called The Suave Series.Sylver Productions is the innovative firm which provides unique products and services that meet untapped customer needs. It developed, manages and operates proprietary services like Citymail™, TixItUp™, Datlik™ and Wefyl™.Vecasyer Hotels & Towers is the collection of the most stylish hotels and resorts worldwide which offer 5-star accommodation with first class professional treatment and quality services.

The SKA Group also has partial ownership of:RCubed-Merit LLP – the outfitting firm which highlights and optimizes the potential for various living spaces by redefining the outlook of the rooms, offices, homes and work spaces through the reorganization and restructuring of their overall presentation. The SKA Group has fifty-one percent (51%) ownership.Spinners Incorporated – the agency which provides expert advertising services and solutions to its clients. It also uses its ace designing skills and creative wordplay to make befitting logos, catchy names and impressive slogans for its clients’ businesses, events and products. The SKA Group has seventy-five (75%) ownership.

All subsidiaries operate independently, but are monitored and regulated from its headquarters, SKA Tower, under the management of the President of the conglomerate.

Prior to the one year remembrance of my dad, I’ve decided to do something significant. Rather than just look gloomy and reminisce every 11th day of May, I want to honor his memory annually – on his birthday, not the day of his passing. I’m calling it SKA Legacy. I hope to eventually make it a befitting annual celebration of a very remarkable man.

In commemoration of this decision, I will share my final words to my dad with everyone. This is my farewell message as it appeared in the program of his funeral mass on Thursday, May 28th, 2009.

The banner placed over the main gate into our residence during the ceremonies

FAREWELL DAD

There are so many things I wish I could say, but I literally would use up everyone else’s spots so I’ll attempt to make this as brief as possible. Growing up, I didn’t really have him around so I didn’t know a lot about him safe for a few things- he rushed everyone out of the house into the car workday mornings, he loved to watch CNN, he playfully called me ‘Sonny Jim’, we were both hairy, and that we are both Sylvester (which I thought was cool)…later, when I asked him if I was Sylvester Jnr or Sylvester II, he laughed and said anyone I like.

When I got into my teen years, he had retired so I got to see more of him…which was a disaster waiting to happen- a teenage boy and his ‘stay home’ dad. He was practically on my neck half the time- Sola, you’re too conscious of pimples…stop acting like a woman, turn off the lights when you’re not using them, girls shouldn’t be calling you this late, go get a haircut, turn off that television and read, keep to time…don’t be like your mother, learn to save etc. Not to mention the holidays when he would always insist I read ahead for the next session or term, go to summer school or read a book. He hated us waking up late. In fact, the ‘terror’ list is endless. I was certain I didn’t want to be anything like him. I thought he was not cool, mean and too much of a disciplinarian. The only thing we agreed on then was my choir practice because he was in the grammar school choir, and WWF wrestling on Sunday evenings.

Growing into a young man (which is the present), I started getting wiser and began to admire and understand him. The pimples were a phase. Time waits for no one and every second counts. Study now and enjoy the fruits later. The reading helped my grammar. And now that I live alone, I save on my electric, water and phone bills. I might not have wanted to be like him, but we were alike in so many ways. I started spending more time and doing things with him: going to the barber shop together, enjoying the evening breeze outside together and listening to his life adventures, teasing my mom, listening to ‘Ikan be’ by Akolawole Olawuyi, buying shares etc.

He was a very loving dad in his own special ways. I was told of when he would put me on his laps while he drives so I could put my hands of the steering wheel and drive, sponsoring my formal education and holidays, driving to Ijanikin every month in 2002 just to see me in school along with some lunch, crying bitterly both times I was leaving Nigeria for Canada, giving me the best, and calling me “Mr Buttons” when I started my button-badges business. I also realized he was cool. For example, he had a nickname in high school – he was called ‘Wild Cat’. He was also quite athletic. I remembered the day he chased me around the house trying to cane me for something I did; I thought I was quick on my feet until that day. We both eventually had a couple of laughs after he finally had me cornered though.

All his kids and I will never forget, “Read Hard, Pray Hard, Play A Little, and you’ll succeed” and in the last two days I spent with him, God made me persuade him to give me advise for business, life, relationships and family; and he did! He always drove me to better than the best. He didn’t live to see me graduate, but I know he was proud that was becoming quite the family man (being close to all my sisters), a business man and my new last name.

My dad was responsible, thrifty, intelligent, soft-spoken, generous, good-looking, polished, honest, well-mannered and humble. He wasn’t perfect, but he was pretty close. Well, I think I’ll stop here and say, if I am ever a man worth emulating or celebrating, I owe it to God who gave him to me. Rest in perfect peace dad. I love you.

– Sylvester II Olusola Kay-Adade

I don’t think we shared the typical dad-son bond, but I miss him. This has a few entertaining stories of my life with my dad, but there are more – more I hope to share in a book called Sonny Jim, by God’s grace. A few weeks ago, a friend said to me, “I know you miss him, so what keeps you going?” I replied, “We miss him, but knowing he’s happy being in a better place, and knowing we’ll see him again is very comforting.”

Contrary to what people say, time doesn’t make it easier, God does. Thanks for reading.